A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
This went on for two years, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master’s house. Naturally, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, always delivering a whole portion of water. The poor cracked pot, however, was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself and want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “For these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said. The water bearer, with a compassion voice said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” As they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the sun shining on the beautiful wildflowers on the side of the path, which cheered it up a bit. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again, the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack and chose to see it as a gift. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day, while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.” [author unknown] Below is a text I just received from a client. This is one of the reasons I continue to do this type of work. Identifying info is omitted with *****.
"Good morning! It's always you who sends out the encouraging text, but this morning I wanted to shoot one out to you...No fancy images right now, but just a simple message of gratitude! I'm going through a rough little dip with ***** Again...And I keep hearing your voice say self-care self-care self-care. I imagine your words...get present in the space, take some deep breaths and really feel yourself in the space in this moment. I also took a moment in my anxiety to recognize the many gifts and things I do have to appreciate and to recognize how far I've come on my journey of self awareness. I thank you for your contribution and your ongoing support and love! Please know that it matters! Thank you for doing what you do and for being who you are!" This holiday season I encourage you to try to view any stress you may experience not as a threat, but as an opportunity to practice a new way of being. If you feel your stress level rise, remind yourself that you have a choice on how you want to respond to every situation.
Challenge yourself to take a holiday event, that you’re afraid will overwhelm you, and turn it into an occasion you can rise above and conquer by CHOOSING to see a different perspective or choosing a different way of responding. Try to bring fun and humor to the situation! If stressed, take a few deep breaths and connect your heart to the energetic flow of life to help create ease in your response to the stressor(s). I am here for you when you need support! From EveryMomentCounts.org
Promoting positive mental health is everybody’s business! Everyone should care about mental health because people who are mentally healthy and feel happy demonstrate greater degrees of everyday functioning(1), healthy behaviors(2), and perceived good health(3). Completely mentally healthy individuals function better in everyday life reporting fewer sick days and chronic physical conditions, lower health care use, and higher levels of psychosocial functioning(1). 1 Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43, 207-222. 2 Rasciute, S., Downward, P. (2010). Health or Happiness? What Is the Impact of Physical Activity on the Individual? Kyklos 63 (2), 256–270. 3 Sabatini, F. (2011). The relationship between happiness and health: evidence from Italy. MPRA: Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 1-23. An excerpt from a correspondence I had with someone who didn't feel any benefit from Reiki energy therapy:
I understand your hesitancy with energy therapies. Early on, I had doubts, too and wondered whether a session was worth it. What I discovered, was that the times I thought a session was a waste of my time, I was all in my head during the session. Instead of opening myself up to the energy, my mind was analyzing what the practitioner was doing or I was thinking about what I needed to do that evening or was reliving something in the past. Although I was on the massage table, I was not actually present. When I allowed myself to quiet my mind and be present in the moment, that is when I had profound experiences with energy therapy. We live in a culture where our brain is always being stimulated, which for some people, including myself, have a hard time settling down enough to notice the effects of energy therapy. That's why I try to create an atmosphere to invite calm and often use a guided meditation to help quiet the mind. Energy therapy is beneficial in helping you to get into a deep state of relaxation, which can then allow you to let go of negative views/thoughts and see your life from a different perspective. It also allows tight holding patterns to soften allowing your muscles to move more freely and breathing to occur with greater ease. This then provides the opportunity for your body to begin it's healing process. So often people go right back into the chaos and tighten right back up. That's why self-care is so important and repeated sessions are beneficial in learning to stay connected with the energy to maintain calm, even in the midst of chaos. I often teach people Reiki so they are empowered with tapping into the energy for themselves. Chronic stress depletes us. Energy therapy is a fuel that can restore our depleted state. I encourage you to give it a try! Contact me today. Coping with life's challenges alone can be difficult. This new service is an alternative for those who prefer not to have the hands-on therapies provided in the Holistic Wellness session. This session allows you to still receive the support you deserve. Wellness and stress management is a lifestyle, so during our time together we'll use discussion and activities to learn life balance, stress management and coping strategies, healthy lifestyle approaches, mindfulness techniques, the importance of self-care and more. The sessions are designed around your needs for improving your physical and mental health.
|
AuthorJean Categories
|